2019 Chrysler Pacifica: What to check before buying
Owners have filed 352 complaints with NHTSA about this car, most about the electrical, transmission, and brakes. The 10 checks below target those problems, in the order you would do them at the car.
2019- Owner complaints
- 352
- Recalls
- 8
- 1 urgent
- Crashes reported
- 11
- 3 injuries
One recall on this model year told owners to park outside until the repair was done.
Do not buy until you have dealer paperwork or a recall lookup showing it was completed for this VIN.
Your inspection sheet
Tick items off on your phone at the car, or print it. Ticks stay on this device.
0/10 checked
2019 Chrysler Pacifica: inspection sheet
Paperwork and questions
Before you go, or before you touch the car0/3
Walk-around and cabin
Engine off, key in hand0/1
Cold start, engine bay, and underside
Ask the seller not to warm the car up first0/1
Test drive
At least 20 minutes, with some highway0/5
These checks are specific to this model year. For tires, body panels, fluids, and the other basics every used car needs, use the general inspection guide.
Which Pacifica is it?
EPA figures for each version of the 2019 Chrysler Pacifica. Use them to confirm you are looking at the version that was advertised, and as a yardstick on the test drive.
| Version | Drive | EPA rating |
|---|---|---|
| 3.6L 6-cylGas | FWD | 22 mpg |
| 3.6L 6-cylPlug-in hybrid | FWD | 520 mi range |
- The 2019 Chrysler Pacifica was sold in two versions. Confirm which one this is from the window sticker, the engine cover, or the VIN report before you compare prices.
- On the plug-in hybrid, watch for the car moving off on electric power at low speed and for any hybrid system warning on the dash.
- Reset the trip computer at the start of the drive. A Pacifica that averages well under the EPA 22 mpg combined on a mixed route may have an engine or tire problem.
Check the odometer against these mileages
Owners report these failures starting around the mileages below. A car inside one of these ranges deserves a closer look at that part, or records showing it was already fixed.
Battery failure and power loss
30,000–60,000 miles
Head gasket coolant leak
55,000–79,000 miles
Why these checks: what owners reported
NHTSA complaints for the 2019 Chrysler Pacifica, grouped by the part owners named. Open a row to read what goes wrong.
Electrical742 crashes
Sudden loss of power while driving is the main pattern. The van shuts off, often on the highway, sometimes shifts itself into park, and may not restart. Many reports involve the hybrid, with a "service charging system" message and repeated failures of both batteries. Uconnect faults also appear. Screens go black or reboot, and climate, windows, audio and cameras drop out with them. Dealers often find no stored codes. There are 3 fire-related complaints, including a fire in a parked van, and 2 crash-related reports.
Transmission731 crash
Harsh shifting and lurching from the automatic transmission lead this category. Owners describe jerks and hesitation from a stop up to about 37 mph, slamming shifts at highway speeds, and sudden lunges when the van is put in gear. One of those lunges caused a crash. Others say the van loses drive power or shuts off while moving, shows "service shifter" or transmission warnings, and won't shift out of park. Replacing the valve body or the whole transmission does not always fix it. Head gasket failures near 70,000 miles also show up here.
Brakes383 crashes
A failing brake booster is the main complaint. The pedal hisses, turns hard, or pushes back against the driver's foot, and the van creeps forward while held at a stoplight. Some drivers say the pedal sinks or the van barely slows at speed, and 3 complaints involve crashes. Several owners now shift into park at every light. Replacement boosters are often on backorder, and several reports say no warning light came on. A few complaints cover rusted rotors and an early master cylinder failure.
Steering302 crashes
Sticky or catching steering is the most common report, usually at highway speeds when changing lanes or coming out of a long curve. The wheel resists returning to center and needs extra force, which can cause over-correction or a swerve into the next lane. Dealers often cannot duplicate it. Other owners describe power steering cutting out completely while driving, which makes the wheel very hard to turn. Some tie this to the battery and one to a failed steering rack. Two complaints involve crashes, including one where the wheel jumped left or right.
Engine20No crashes
Head gasket failure dominates the engine complaints. Coolant leaks into the cylinders, most often cylinder 6, which brings a check engine light, misfires, rough idle, shaking, and a coolant reservoir that needs constant topping off. Most reports fall between about 55,000 and 93,000 miles. Shops often recommend a full engine replacement, and one estimate runs $9,000. A separate group of reports describes stop/start warnings followed by sputtering and stalling while driving, sometimes even after both batteries were replaced.
Acceleration and cruise control72 crashes
Unexpected surging and hesitation make up this small category. Pulling away from a stop, the van can stall or crawl at 10 miles per hour, then jerk or surge forward. Other reports describe engine revs climbing with cruise control on. On the hybrid, acceleration has suddenly cut out on the freeway, with braking and a flood of collision warnings. Two complaints involve crashes, one while backing into a garage. Dealers often find nothing wrong.
Body and structure6No crashes
Most of these complaints are about the power sliding doors. Doors close on a person instead of reversing, or won't stay open and slide shut on their own, which puts children at risk. Owners also report paint bubbling or peeling on the hood and sliding doors, a water leak at the left rear that soaked the carpet, and a front passenger window that shattered at highway speed without being hit.
Suspension5No crashes
Front suspension noise is the main theme. Owners hear squeaks, popping, creaking or clicking, traced to the lower control arms and bushings, and sometimes the van shakes. One report traces rear clunking over uneven pavement to the struts. Two reports say the trouble began before 30,000 miles. Repairs drag on because dealers cannot stop the noise or parts take months to arrive.
In owners' own words
Excerpts from complaints Pacifica owners filed with NHTSA, as written. Listen for the same symptoms on your test drive.
On multiple occasions my warning lights come on and my van goes into limp mode. It says it’s my throttle body and gas paddle but I had those put on. Some days the car runs perfectly fine. When the problem happens. I have to cut the car off then restart it. Sometimes it’s ride just a little. Then go back into limp mode. And other times it’s just ride perfectly normal for days. It’s been doing this since I had around 65000 miles on my van.
Filed with NHTSA, March 2025
The affected component is the backup camera and warning system. The malfunction happens in a loop around every 3 minutes. My safety and that of others is put at risk when the backup and rear collision warning fails to function and negates backward motion visibility to the driver by such failure. There are no warning lamps currently or any notification of any failure in the car. I have taken the car to the dealership and they have found no issues.
Filed with NHTSA, May 2023
Power to engine was lost while driving 75 miles per hour down the freeway in the HOV Express lane. There was no shoulder to pull over onto safely. This is the second time this has occurred. First incident was March 2021. Power to engine cut while driving on freeway 75 MPH. Car was towed to Bob Baker Chrysler. Dealer was unable to recreate the problem or diagnose after 7 days. Issues occurred again on 4/19/2022. Car was towed to Bob Baker Chrysler.
Filed with NHTSA, April 2022
Lost of coolant with no warning lamps. Engine went into hydrolock and now will not start. Miss fire code appearing before locking up. Dash light power come on and off when the car is off and park. The car has 77k miles and would choke when the car was running and changing gears. Has not been inspect by anyone yet because the car is dead on the drive way.
Filed with NHTSA, February 2025
My brakes were hissing when pressed and started squealing. Shortly after this when I tried to stop I came inches from hitting the car in front of me. I have also noticed when this is happening the auto shut off feature is not working. My dealer can’t even look at my car for a couple of weeks to see what may be causing the issue. I have seen reports of others having this issue as well which is a huge safety concern.
Filed with NHTSA, August 2021
The vehicle's brake booster is going out. The vehicle's warranty was already extended once but is now out of that 5-year timeframe. This issue began about 2 weeks ago. Now, the brake pushes back and doesn't want to engage which poses the risk of rear-ending someone. Chrysler is aware of this situation and refuses to extend or fix the issue.
Filed with NHTSA, August 2024
Power steering is sticking. This requires me to use additional force and thereby resulting in over correction. This has caused unintentional swerving into the adjacent lane nearly hitting other vehicles. Seems to be intermittent, but this has happened on numerous occasions. I see there is a currently an investigation into this matter and want you to be aware this is happening on 2019 vehicles as well.
Filed with NHTSA, September 2025
Power steering failure October 11, 2024. Car battery malfunction. Thankfully I was in the slow lane and was able to drift to the shoulder of the highway. My safety of my entire family was put at risk. This includes me, my wife and 2 kids. The problem was confirmed by a dealership and I was able to replace the battery. The problem has not been reproduced, and no there were no warning lamps.
Filed with NHTSA, January 2026
How the 2019 compares with other Pacifica years
Complaints for this year next to the average for the other model years, area by area.
The 2019 ranks third for owner complaints among 9 Pacifica years, about 1.4 times the average of the others. Newer years have had less time to collect complaints, so compare like with like.
- Electrical7461
- Transmission7363
- Brakes385
- Steering3024
- Engine2036
- Acceleration and cruise control74
Recalls to confirm (8)
Recall repairs are free at any Chrysler dealer, but the seller may never have had them done. Check each campaign number against the VIN.
24V538000Fuel systemPark outsideJul 2024
Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) is recalling certain 2019-2021 Pacifica Plug-In Hybrid Electric (PHEV) vehicles. The battery pack may cause a vehicle fire when parked, even with the ignition in the "Off" position.
Risk: A vehicle fire increases the risk of injury.
Fix: Owners are advised not to charge their vehicles, and to park outside and away from structures, until they are repaired. Dealers will update the high voltage battery pack control module (BPCM) software. In addition, dealers will inspect and if necessary, replace the battery pack assembly. Repairs will be performed free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 6, 2025. Owners may contact FCA US LLC customer service at 1-800-853-1403. FCA US LLC's number for this recall is 72B. This recall is an expansion of NHTSA recall number 22V-077.
25V876000Equipment Adaptive/mobilityDec 2025
Rollx Vans (Rollx) is recalling certain GMC Yukon, Sierra, Chevrolet Express 2500, Ford Transit, E-250, Toyota Sienna, Sienna Hybrid, Honda Odyssey, Chrysler Town and Country, Voyager, Pacifica, Dodge Grand Caravan, and Ram Promaster vehicles equipped with QRT-Deluxe and QRT-Max wheelchair restraints. Please refer to Rollx's recall report for specific model year information. The retractors may not lock, preventing the wheelchair from being properly secured.
Risk: An unsecured wheelchair can move during transit, increasing the risk of injury.
Fix: Rollx will work with Q'Straint to inspect and replace the retractors as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed February 5, 2026. Owners may contact Rollx's customer service at 1-800-956-6668.
23V010000ElectricalJan 2023
Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) is recalling certain 2017-2023 Pacifica Plug-In Hybrid Electric vehicles (PHEVs). An internal transmission wiring connector may short circuit, resulting in an unexpected engine shutdown.
Risk: An unexpected engine shutdown can cause a loss of drive power, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will update the Power Inverter Module (PIM) software and, if necessary, update the instrument panel cluster (IPC) and the electronic control module (ECM) software, free of charge. FCA US will notify dealers and begin notifying owners on or about: 03/21/2023 for 2021 model year vehicles, 05/02/2023 for 2019-2020 model year vehicles, and 06/15/2023 for 2017-2018 model year vehicles. FCA began notifying owners on February 23, 2023. Owners may contact FCA US, LLC customer service at 1-800-853-1403. FCA US, LLC's number for this recall is 03A.
20V191000Backup cameraSep 2020
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2020 Jeep Gladiator and Jeep Cherokee, 2019-2020 Ram 1500 Pickup, Ram 2500 Pickup, Ram 3500 Pickup, Chrysler Pacifica, Dodge Durango, Jeep Grand Cherokee, Jeep Wrangler, and Jeep Renegade and 2019 Dodge Challenger vehicles equipped with 8.4" or 12" radio displays. A software error can cause the rearview camera image to remain displayed after the vehicle has been shifted out of reverse. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 111, "Rearview Mirrors.".
Risk: The lingering rearview image can distract the driver, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Chrysler has notified owners, and dealers will update the radio display software, free of charge. Optionally, owners can choose to remotely update their software via an Over-The-Air (OTA) update available as of May 1, 2020. The recall began April 27, 2020. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is W30-W37.
20V334000ElectricalJun 2020
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2017-2020 Pacifica Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles ("PHEV"). The 12 volt isolator post located behind the driver's seat may develop high resistance.
Risk: A high resistance electrical connection may result in the connection overheating, increasing the risk of a fire with the vehicle on or off.
Fix: FCA will conduct a voluntary safety recall on affected vehicles to increase the torque and install a waterproof gasket to the 12v isolator post, the post will also be inspected for signs of contamination. In the event the post is compromised, the 12v isolator post and associated cables will be replaced. Until the final remedy is available, customers should bring their vehicles to dealers for an interim inspection of this joint. The recall remedy is currently under development. FCA US LLC will notify owners, and dealers will perform an interim inspection of this joint. If the inspection indicates the joint is compromised, owners will receive a loaner vehicle, until a final remedy is developed. Interim notifications are expected to begin around June 22, 2020. The recall began July 30, 2020. Owners may contact FCA US LLC customer service at 1-800-853-1403. FCA US LLC's number for this recall is W46. Note: Consumers are advised to exercise the following precautions until the vehicle has the final repair completed: do not park these vehicles inside of buildings or structures, or near other vehicles. Additionally, keep liquids out of the backseat area, including but not limited to beverages, wet items, umbrellas, or bottled liquids that may leak.
19V886000Backup cameraDec 2019
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Pacifica vehicles equipped with an 8.4 inch radio display, 360 degree surround view camera system, and seat back video screens. A software error can cause the rearview camera image to remain displayed on the radio after the vehicle has been shifted out of reverse. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 111, "Rearview Mirrors.".
Risk: The lingering rearview image can distract the driver, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will update the radio software, free of charge. The recall began January 9, 2020. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is VE2.
19V348000ElectricalMay 2019
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2017-2019 Pacifica vehicles equipped with engine stop/start systems. A loose battery ground connection may result in an intermittent loss of power steering assist and/or a stall.
Risk: A loss of power steering assist or a stall can increase the risk of crash.
Fix: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the battery ground surfaces, clean the contact surfaces as needed, and properly reassemble the ground connection, free of charge. The recall began May 24, 2019. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. FCA US' number for this recall is V53.
18V524000ElectricalAug 2018
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2018 Jeep Renegade, Compass and Grand Cherokee, RAM 1500 and Promaster, Fiat 500x, Dodge Journey, Challenger, Charger and Durango and Chrysler 300x vehicles, 2017-2018 Jeep Wrangler, Dodge Grand Caravan and Chrysler Town and Country vehicles and 2018-2019 Jeep Cherokee and 2018 Chrysler Pacifica and Pacifica Hybrid vehicles. The powertrain control module may be equipped with a voltage regulator chip in the circuit board that may fail, causing a stall or a no start condition.
Risk: A vehicle stall can increase the risk of a crash.
Fix: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will replace the powertrain control module, free of charge. The recall began October 2, 2018. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is U87.
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2019 owner complaints, side by side
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